Wisconsin is celebrating its 175th anniversary Monday, a day that will feature modest celebrations and an official acknowledgement of the state’s “countless contributions to the fabric of the nation and the world” in agriculture, industry, art and culture.

A proclamation signed by Gov. Tony Evers honors the state’s admission to the Union May 29, 1848, while celebrating the Indigenous tribes that have occupied the land “since time immemorial.”

“Through times of adversity and prosperity, Wisconsinites are helpers by nature, often going above and beyond to serve their communities, look out for their neighbors, and exemplify the state’s shared values of kindness, empathy, respect, and compassion, earning them the ‘Midwest Nice’ reputation that is cherished by visitors and residents alike,” Evers said in the proclamation.

Little else is planned to celebrate the anniversary. Perhaps that’s what you get when you’re celebrating a demisemiseptcentennial — a fancy term for a 175th anniversary — and not a more commonly recognized birthday like a centennial or a sesquicentennial.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has launched a new website celebrating a list of Wisconsin “visionaries, changemakers and storytellers.” And the first territorial capital of Wisconsin in Belmont, where legislators gathered for 47 days in 1836.

You can read more in an article by Alexander Shur published in the madison.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/5n7un65n.

A bid to save a collection of almost 1,000 historic newspapers has succeeded after raising more than £115,000 ($141980 US dollars) in six months.

The National Library of Scotland launched the ‘Save Our Stories’ campaign, backed by The Scotsman, after warning around two-thirds of the newspapers in its archives risked being lost unless “essential conservation and preservation work” was carried out.

The collection, which dates from as early as 1641, comprises 961 titles from all over Scotland and features rare editions such as the first copy of The Scotsman, pictured, from 1817.

The required work will now be carried out following the successful fundraising drive.

You can read more in an article by David Sharman published in the holdthefrontpage.co.uk web site at: https://tinyurl.com/48c49r4f.

From an article by John O'Brien published in the LegalNewsline.com web site:

A Chicago federal judge won't second-guess herself for tossing a proposed class action lawsuit that accused Ancestry.com of violating the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.

The suit concerned old yearbook photos the company used when advertising its pay service. In September, Judge Virginia Kendall granted summary judgment to Ancestry, finding plaintiff lawyers failed to work around the IRPA's one-year statute of limitations.

They tried to argue each payment Ancestry made to a company that licenses yearbook names and images started the statute over. Lawyers at Clifford Law Offices, Morgan and Morgan and Bursor & Fisher filed a motion for reconsideration that was rejected May 23.

They said the Illinois Supreme Court's recent ruling in Tims v. Black Horse Carriers, which denied a one-year statute of limitation on cases brought under the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act.

The full article may be found at: https://legalnewsline.com/stories/642699029-judge-ill-supreme-court-s-biometrics-decision-doesn-t-apply-to-class-action-over-yearbook-photos. 

A new article published in the nature.com web site explores ancestry-related differences in the genetics of African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. Here is the abstract of the article:

We explored ancestry-related differences in the genetic architecture of whole-blood gene expression using whole-genome and RNA sequencing data from 2,733 African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. We found that heritability of gene expression significantly increased with greater proportions of African genetic ancestry and decreased with higher proportions of Indigenous American ancestry, reflecting the relationship between heterozygosity and genetic variance. Among heritable protein-coding genes, the prevalence of ancestry-specific expression quantitative trait loci (anc-eQTLs) was 30% in African ancestry and 8% for Indigenous American ancestry segments. Most anc-eQTLs (89%) were driven by population differences in allele frequency. Transcriptome-wide association analyses of multi-ancestry summary statistics for 28 traits identified 79% more gene–trait associations using transcriptome prediction models trained in our admixed population than models trained using data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project. Our study highlights the importance of measuring gene expression across large and ancestrally diverse populations for enabling new discoveries and reducing disparities.

You can read the full article at: https://rdcu.be/dc4hm.

The following is from an article published by McGill University in Montreal, Quebec:

First study to incorporate genealogical records to provide an accurate map of genetic relatedness

Though we all share common ancestors ranging from a few generations to hundreds of thousands of years, genealogies that relate all of us are often forgotten over time. A new McGill University-led study is now providing insight into the complex relationship between human migration and genetic variation, using a unique genealogical dataset of over five million records spanning 400 years to unravel the genetic structure of French Canadian populations.

The team, including researchers from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford, developed a new method to simulate genomes based on a population scale genealogy dating back to the arrival of the first French settlers. By comparing the simulations to real genetic data, they were able to prove that the genetic structure of this population was encoded within its genealogy.

“It is the first genetic study, in any worldwide population, that incorporates genealogical records to provide a strikingly accurate map of genetic relatedness at the population scale,” explains Simon Gravel, Associate Professor in McGill’s Department Human Genetics and one of the study’s authors.

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Open a window into the lives of your Manchester ancestors, with 4.9 million records added to the collection of Manchester Rate Books 

·         Dig into more detail with the Browse version of Manchester Rate Books 

·         Discover the verdict behind unexplained deaths with Oldham Inquisitions 

·         Plus, three brand new Manchester newspapers have been added, helping you uncover colour and context  

Greater Manchester Rate Books 

The star of the show this week is the addition of 4.9 million new records to this existing collection, taking the total number of records to a staggering 13 million. ‘Rates’ were taxes collected to support local services, such as poor relief and roads, so you should find details of your Manchester ancestors paying the required rates. You’ll see their name, address, and even the name of the person who owned the property they occupied, meaning these records are also handy for house history research.   

Greater Manchester Rate Books Browse 

In addition to the above, 215,002 browse-only rate book images have been released. The indexed collection typically includes all years ending in 1 or 6, while the browse-only collection includes every year in between.   

Oldham Inquisitions, 1905-1917 

If your Oldham ancestor died in a suspicious or unexplained way, there may have been an investigation to determine their cause of death. This new collection of 749 records offers detail-rich original images, including witness statements and the final verdict.  

Newspapers 

Four brand new titles, updates to a further nine, and a total of 63,325 new pages make up this week’s newspaper releases. Three of the four new additions are Manchester titles.  

New titles: 

·         Altrincham, Bowdon & Hale Guardian, 1871, 1874-1887, 1893-1894, 1898 

·         Ashton Standard, 1858-1861, 1865, 1877, 1879, 1889, 1896-1897 

·         Bolton Journal & Guardian, 1876-1877, 1879-1880, 1889, 1897, 1899, 1916-1918 

·         Saturday Telegraph (Grimsby), 1902-1904, 1906-1907, 1910, 1914-1916 

 

Updated titles: 

·         Chester Chronicle, 1958, 1961 

·         Crewe Chronicle, 1989 

·         Dover Express, 1876-1887 

·         Grimsby & County Times, 1901-1902, 1906, 1910, 1914-1916 

·         Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner, 1874, 1894, 1896, 1938, 1954 

·         Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 1928, 1945, 1949, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1982 

·         South London Observer, 1881-1888 

·         Surrey Mirror, 1986 

·         Vale Advertiser, 1995 

Monday in the United States is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who died in our nation's service. The origins of this day of remembrance are in doubt, with more than two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. 

Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic: "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land." 

It is believed that the end of May was chosen for the first Memorial Day because "flowers would be in bloom all over the country." 

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York, in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May. In addition, several southern states have an additional, separate day for honoring their Confederate (Civil War) dead as follows:

Memorial Day is the perfect time to pause and remember our ancestors who fought in defense of their country. Now is the time to learn of the sacrifices, large and small, that they made so that we can all enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Here is a list of web sites that will help you learn about Memorial Day and our military heroes:

This is something that will appeal to a LOT of genealogists:

As we approach Memorial Day, a time of year dedicated to remembering and honoring the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, we at MyHeritage believe it’s important to make their stories accessible to all. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that, in honor of Memorial Day, we are offering free access to our extensive collection of military records from May 25–30, 2023.

Search military records on MyHeritage for free! 

Our 83 million military records, which are part of our vast collection of historical records, provide invaluable insights into the lives of those who served their country in times of war and peace. They allow us to piece together the stories of their service, honor their memories, and connect on a deeper level with our past.

Our collection includes draft, enlistment, and service records, pension records, and military biographies from various countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many more. These records can reveal a wealth of information about your ancestors, such as their rank, unit, date of enlistment and discharge, physical characteristics, and even their next of kin.

Sailors from the H.M.S. Repulse, enhanced and colorized on MyHeritage [Credit Ken McGuire]

Exploring these military records not only helps to honor and remember those who served but can also bring you closer to your own family history. You might discover ancestors you didn’t know you had, uncover stories of heroism and sacrifice in your family tree, and gain a deeper appreciation for the past.

So this Memorial Day, join us in remembering our military heroes. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore our military records for free and uncover the stories of bravery and sacrifice in your own family’s past.

The words different cultures use to describe family members have revealed some intriguing insights—including why in Balto-Slavic languages there is a complicated relationship between in-laws and weasels.

University of Bristol researchers have published a new study in PLOS ONE exploring the links between kinship names in different languages.

Fiona Jordan, professor of anthropology from the University of Bristol, has been working with colleagues from Australia, Finland, and Brazil to develop KinBank—a catalog of more than 1,200 languages and their words for family members—known as kinship terminology. It features more than 210,000 kinship terms ranging from cousins to great-grandparents.

One of the interesting findings the team have discovered is that the sounds of parental kinship terms can be predicted by the gender of the parent.

"Across the world, parent words often sound like baby babbling, with ma, ba, da sounds," Professor Jordan from Bristol's Department of Anthropology and Archaeology explains.

"We were surprised that while father words showed a bias to pa -and ta-, the ma- words could refer to either mum or dad, showing the need for large-scale databases to test these ideas about language variation."

The team are currently investigating claims that languages that distinguish certain types of cousins do so because some cousins are considered marriageable.

As KinBank grows, Professor Jordan believes it will be an invaluable tool for investigating recurring patterns for kinship terminology across cultures.

"We hope this can spark conversations about diversity and family between people from different cultural backgrounds—this is how it is in my family, but do you do it that way?" Professor Jordan said.

"Anthropologists have documented kinship variation for decades, but our database is the first time the data will be widely accessible.

You can read more in an article by the University of Bristol and published in the phys.org web site at: https://phys.org/news/2023-05-database-family-members-languages.html